How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look terrible, and age your home exterior, even if the oil stains are still relatively new. Try to avoid oil stains on your home’s driveway, sidewalks and in your garage whenever possible, and try to eliminate those stains fast, before they really set in.
If the oil stain has been there for a while, like from before you purchased the home, you might need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Akron that can eliminate even the most set-in oil stains.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mostly, oil from automobiles is the cause for oil-stained concrete. This might be oil, gasoline or transmission fluid – or a combination of fluids. Some of the most typical ways concrete gets stained are from:
- Fixing your own car
- Filling up the lawn mower
- A leak that should be checked out by a mechanic
But, there are a lot of other things that can leave an unsightly oil stain on concrete. So let’s review a few of the best DIY ways to remove those oil stains!
DIY Oil Stain Removal Tips
CAT LITTER FOR OIL STAINS
Cat litter is a simple first step for fresh oil stains where there is a lot of oil that needs to be cleaned up.
Sprinkle the cat litter over the oil, really getting it down into the stain by stomping on it with your feet. It’s a good idea to leave the litter on the oil stain overnight so it absorbs as much as possible. Scrape it up or sweep it off of the driveway the next day and repeat as necessary.
Get rid of used litter so pets and nearby wildlife don’t eat it and get sick from it.
Then you can follow up with one of the following do-it-yourself concrete cleaning methods.
COCA-COLA FOR OIL STAINS
You’ve probably heard urban legends about accident clean-up crews using Coke to clean the roads, but, be assured, that is a myth. But, Coke does have powerful cleaning properties when it comes to greasy stains, partly because of its carbonated bubbles, but mostly because of the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a generous amount of Coke on the oil stain, then cover it with dishwashing detergent (Blue Dawn is widely accepted as the most effective). Scrub with a stiff brush, using circular motions throughout.
Rinse and repeat if you have to.
BAKING SODA FOR OIL STAINS
Baking soda is a popular home cleaning remedy product.
To eliminate an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first need to cover the stain with the baking soda and then let it sit for a little bit, anywhere from 30 minutes to two or three hours. This should absorb a lot of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous concrete.
Then, add that famous blue dishwashing detergent and some water and scrub until there is a thick paste. Again, let this sit for maximum penetration, or continue to scrub in a circular pattern, then rinse.
Just like the Coke method, you might have to repeat the process one or two times.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Most homeowners already use this to wash off bad stains on clothing. It’s also a great product for removing tough oil stains on concrete too!
Combine powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts based on the size of the oil stain. You want to cover it entirely. Let this dry mixture sit on the oil stain for an hour or longer, then add some water to make a paste, scrub and rinse.
This is a gentle cleaning method, so it may be necessary to repeat the process two or three times. But there is a good chance it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Akron
Some concrete oil stains on a driveway are just too difficult for DIY home remedies. That’s when it is time to call a professional pressure washing company to clean your home’s concrete surfaces.
We don’t recommend pressure washing your driveway on your own to save a few dollars. You can cause significant harm that is difficult to fix if you don’t know how to properly pressure wash concrete. The high pressure water can break and loosen concrete, and it can leave streaks that look just as bad as the oil stains.
Hiring Akron Pressure Washing is definitely the best choice. We know the best methods to clean concrete without damaging it, such as:
- The right PSI and GPM settings to use
- Which nozzle tip will penetrate concrete without chipping it
- The correct distance to spray the concrete from
- Products that can help lighten stains
Akron Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps it takes to clean the concrete little by little – the most effective method. Most homeowners and other companies don’t have enough patience to do it correctly. They want immediate results.
A professional pressure washing company in Akron can also provide protective sealing services for driveway so oil stains are less likely in the future.